Montana rape kit tracking system to launch Sept. 1

HELENA — Montana's online system to track sexual assault evidence kits is complete and will launch on Sunday.

Attorney General Tim Fox says the system can be used by sexual assault survivors to trace their kit's movement through the criminal justice system and will allow them to sign up for notifications about the progress.

In this undated photo rape kits are stored in the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations building in Helena, Mont.(Photo: Thom Bridge, AP)

Fox says the tracking system also provides for better communication among health care professionals, law enforcement officers and sexual assault survivors.

Fox created the Sexual Assault Evidence Task Force in 2015 to study the issue of untested evidence kits. Montana received money for the tracking system in 2016 and $2 million to process about 1,200 untested kits.

The Montana Legislature unanimously passed a bill this year that requires law enforcement agencies to submit most sexual assault evidence kits for testing within 30 days.

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